A Brief Note, and a Request for Your Prayers

My little cousin Jennifer was in a very bad car accident last week in Northern Kentucky. She's been in University Hospital ever since, going through many long surgeries to save her life. 

Jennifer & her brother at a Reds' game in 1983

Unfortunately, she lost that battle this afternoon while surrounded by her loving family. Jennifer leaves behind two grieving parents, Ed and Jeri, a strong older brother, Chip, and a 7-year old daughter Jessy, a sweet little girl who is now an orphan.

For those of you who pray, please include Jennifer's family in your thoughts, and ask that they be given the strength to withstand something that no parent should have to endure, that no brother ever expects to have happen to his baby sister, and that no child should have forcibly taken from them.

My family and I greatly appreciate any love you can spare for them today.

-Eric

You Can't Take It With You

Travelling to Asia for almost 2 months is a daunting task for most people in a number of ways.  For me, it meant that I would be leaving my pregnant wife at home, all by herself during a time that I wanted to share with her as we prepare to have our first child.  Her job keeps her very busy, and since she'll want to take a lot of time off when the baby is born, we wanted to save some money for when she's on her maternity leave and after, if she wants more time at home.  Accordingly, we decided that she wouldn't come to visit me during my time in Japan, China, or Vietnam.  This way we could save some valuable PTO from work for her, we could save money on the flight to Asia, and we wouldn't have to worry about all the things that could go wrong with a woman in her mid thirties travelling abroad while expecting her first child.  So I go to Asia, and Karen has to stay behind.

The trip also seemed larger-than-life sometimes because I wanted to do a great job at the consulting work that I'm here to do, but 6 weeks is a shorter amount of time than it sounds like when you're building recommendations for the world's fastest growing, soon-to-be-largest market, which operates on some very different social and professional norms that what I've grown to know in The States.  All the cases in the world won't entirely prepare you for the world that exists outside of the comfort of the MBA classroom.  I'm confident that the work I've done so far to prepare for my upcoming presentation has been focused on the right areas, and that my recommendations to my internal customers will be strong, but sometimes you can't help but to wonder what would happen if you're wrong.  The presentation of findings and recommendations only happens once, and everyone in the room will know in that one instant if you're everything you promised them you'd be, or if someone else should have taken your seat on the plane instead.  In contrast, B-School is great because you can talk to professors, work with teammates, increase your skills, make mistakes, help yourself by helping others, study just a little bit more, and then do it all over again next semester.  But ultimately when you get out there, especially working abroad on a relatively brief consulting project, the luxuries afforded you by going to school full time are now far, far away.  B-School means office hours, advice to and from your peers, teamwork that improves the overall quality of your findings, and you can't take any of those things with you're when your packing your bags to leave.

There's more to working abroad that you know about before you leave, yet seldom give much thought to.  You can't help but to assume that if it happens, it will probably be to someone else, which is sad for them, but you're pretty sure nothing will happen to you.  This morning, I was talking to my wife, and she told me that my Grandfather has become very sick.  He's had some problems with his heart in the past year, but it looked like the procedures that he'd undergone had rectified the concerns we had, and that he had gone back to living the life he was accustomed to.  As it turns out, the very treatment that was protecting him, and his heart,  has, by virtue of a very unlikely side effect, destroyed his lungs, so much so that 15 liters of oxygen a day are barely enough for him right now.  I realize that 15 liters is an unfamiliar point of reference for most of you, so let's just say that it's a terrible thing, and that even the biggest tanks of oxygen aren't going to be fixing this particular problem.

My Grandfather, Roger, whom my Dad is named after, is this good-looking 86 year-old man who would typically be able to run circles around any 40 year-old that got in his way.
My Grandmother, Elaine, whom my aunt is named after, died from cancer at the age of 67 and my grandfather has lived on for another 15 or so years since that time.  He's still in the same home where I would sneak cookies from the kitchen, still tending to the same greenhouse I was always amazed by as a kid, still cutting the same grass I never wanted to help out with when I was a selfish teenager.  Up through now, my Grandfather has always been a little bit bulletproof to me.  I always loved my Grandma because she was sweet and would give me candy every week and was, you know...Grandma.  I can still smell the scent of her pumpkin pie during the holidays and picture the mountains of whipped cream I would put on every slice.  I was scared of my Grandfather because he seemed stern and gruff, always sitting in his chair watching the news or reading the paper, and swearing about whatever had him riled up at the moment.  My parents would always make me give him a kiss when we would leave their house and his facial hair was rough and always hurt my skin so I hated having to do it.

The USS Ticonderoga after the second kamikaze strike while
my Grandfather served aboard as a gunner.

As I sit at my laptop here in Shanghai, writing about the things you can't take with you, I can't imagine what it was like for him to serve on a ship for such long tours, with no Skype, no email, no Facebook, and no real hope of connecting with his loved ones at a moments notice, like I can do here, to talk about the most insignificant details of our lives.  I can't help but to be a bit embarrassed when I think about how much I'm looking forward to going home in two weeks, when my Grandfather would have had a much longer stretch ahead of him still, away from home and all of its familiar comforts, and so many other men, some of them his close friends, would not be returning at all.

Dad & I at my wedding in 2009

My Dad, who is in his early 60's isn't that far away from the age at which his Mother died, yet when my Grandpa is no longer with us in the near future, my Dad will be the oldest member of our family.  So of the 4 siblings, and all the kids that they've had, my father will be at the head of the family tree, a place that he says will manage to signify both his responsibility to all of us below him, as well as quietly reminding both he and I of his own mortality; the simple rule which dictates that the one at the top, will inevitably, be replaced by another.

During my time in China, I've made a friendship with a Dutch man named Arnaud.  He's a fantastic guy with an amazing family history and a significant story of his own.  One night he was telling me that the Netherlands had been so ravaged during World War II, that his homeland was no longer able to support itself, and that the Germans were quickly destroying what little ability they had to survive.  Germany had cut off the roads and transportation within the Netherlands, and thus prevented the food, and heating fuel of the country from making it to the population.  The Dutch call this time the Hongerwinter; we call it the Dutch Famine of 1944.  The exact same time that my Grandfather was trying to prevent Japanese planes from landing on his head, 18,000 Dutch citizens died from malnutrition.   Arnaud started to tell me about how American and British soldiers would help to secure flour from Sweden, which the Dutch could then bake for themselves, and how the Allied Forces would airdrop pallets of bread in German-occupied Dutch territories in what was called Operation Manna.

My Friend Arnaud

My friend started to tear up right then, as he recalled the stories that his family told him about this horrible time.  He said that every year, the Dutch pay for American soldiers to come back to the Netherlands so that they can thank them for the great thing they did to help save their country so many years ago.  Now, just two weeks later, I've found out that my Grandfather may not be alive long enough for me to tell him this story to his face, and to give him the thanks that I promised my friend Arnaud I would give to my Grandpa, directly from him when I get back to my country.

It's part of life when you long for the things that you can't take with you every day.  It's hard sometimes to know that you can't always be where you want to be to so that you can witness all the important events in your life.  But right now, in this moment, all I can think about is how I actually can bring this kind message, these sweet, heartfelt words of thanks, back to the man who has always been so bulletproof, so much a permanent fixture of our family for 86 years, and yet he may not be there to receive it when I get home.

The Things We Take for Granted

So today marks the end of the 3rd week that I've been on the road and I'm officially comfortable without some of the things that I can't do anything about, and getting more desperate for some things that I didn't realize I would miss the way that I do.  I’ve written some thoughts on what they are.  If you take me too seriously, this may not be very fun for you.  (By the way, all the photos from this blog are taken by me, but if you want to see them all, click on the links found throughout the page to find the motherload.)

The card at my first hotel in Japan

Language.  There's not much I can do about being in a city that barely speaks any English at all.  Kyoto was a trial-by-fire week of English-free travel, and I'm happy to say that it was effectively the same as riding a bike.  I picked everything up as if I'd never taken any time off, except for the occasional scrape and bruise by the end of the week.  China has been a little different.  The English language is slightly more prevalent here (it's kind of like comparing the availability of potable water in different African nations, it might be a small difference, but it means a lot to the ones who can get it).  While I still struggle to find out what I'm going to eat before I eat it (and sometimes afterwards I would have rather not known…pig’s tail anyone?), there are many more places with English-language versions of the menus.  There are also many more expats in Shanghai, depending on where you spend your time.  In Japan, I saw about 12 people who weren't Asian (a lot of those were in the airport).  Admittedly, this has been a skewed experience as the nuclear power plant disaster that happened in Japan recently had a pretty negative effect on tourism (who doesn't want to try Glow-In-The-Dark Sushi?)

My first plate of Sushi in Kyoto

 and I was asked by a few people who spoke some English about why I wasn't too scared to make my trip when they learned that I was on holiday.  I tried making jokes about non-refundable tickets and the evil American God of Flight we call Delta, but it appeared to get lost in translation.  Anyways, the relatively high level of expats in Shanghai is a love/hate thing for me.  It means that locals have to cater to the English-speaking crowd at least a little bit if they want to get access to some of their buying power, but it also means that some areas (The French Concession for example) are effectively the same as Chicago mixed with Berlin mixed with Paris, which results in a vastly watered-down version of these three places all at once.  The nice part is that you can hide from the Euro/US influence if you want to, and you can escape it altogether if you take a 40-minute train ride out of the city, or go to places where you are always wondering at which point you are going to be stabbed.

My Car.  In Japan, I was able to wander the city of Kyoto, which is set up like a grid (basically) and find my way around, even if I just had to hoof it all the way (I now have the calves of a Greek God).  Shanghai has been a little different, because the city is dramatically larger, and walking to/from your destination is a pipe dream at best for most of your daily plans.  Taxis will work, but the prices add up over 6 weeks, and the cab drivers don't understand the destination you are asking for, even if you think you are pronouncing it the right way (“I would like to go to Ber-gher Key-ng”).  So you better have it written down by one of the locals, or you better have comfortable shoes.  

The subway/train system here is actually pretty fantastic.  It's easier to learn than the system they use in Thailand, and it's probably quite a bit more user-friendly to foreigners than if you are in Manhattan.  That said, by foreigners, I of course am just referring to people in China who speak English...all the rest of you have been determined to be of less value...sorry.  The subway cars are clean, air conditioned, inexpensive, and the announcers does a poor, but usable English translation which is helpful when you're first learning the destination routes.  The system also covers a significant amount of the city, and even connects you to nearby cities via the high-speed rail that some Americans are dead set against building in our own country (try it one time guys...it's a little bit on the awesome side).  The cabs here are just as available as they are in other countries (Japan, Thailand, Bahamas, most of the US, Puerto Rico) and far more so than a few other places (Costa Rica, PITTSBURGH!!) and they are in far better shape than in almost all of those places (except for Japan, where the taxis are an perfect in every way possible).  With all that said about the public transportation, I miss my car a lot on occasion, and don't even notice that it's gone on others.  The availability of public transportation right outside my apartment is great (except that the elevated train runs right below my window, which is exactly as great for my sleeping patterns as you think it's going to be), but it does you no good when you want to explore randomly, or when you need to buy a lot of groceries (ie: Coca-Cola and beer) and then have to lug it home in your backpack or with plastic bags.  It also sucks when your evening goes beyond 11pm, because the subways close, and the fares for the taxis goes up at the same time (who says China isn't a capitalist society?).  

Part of a great meal in Xintiandi, China

Food.  I miss food from home.  There's no way around it.  When you leave home for an extended period of time, the things you look to in order to feel connected will inevitably become: food, your native language, and conversation with loved ones (God bless Skype).  I miss my wife's meals on a tray in front of the television, and having wine, cheese, crackers, and prosciutto with her on the porch.  I miss the carry-out Thai and/or Chinese (ironic) that we have at home when we’re both too tired to make anything.  I miss the recipe I stole from Hartsy that I make for everyone so I can act like I really know how to cook.  I miss Skyline Chili since my coworker here was evil enough to remind me that I can't buy it for a while. I miss Taco Bell (there, I said it), and I miss the entirety of Mexican Food as it has been interpreted by the American  people of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan area (I’ve spent exactly $46 dollars on two bags of Spicy Nacho Doritos, two bags of Tostitos, and one jar of salsa since I’ve been here…totally worth it).

A Guilty Pleasure

A Tofu pyramid during
a fantastic meal.

With that said, I've had some fantastic meals here in China, and a couple in Japan, that help to improve the overall experience.  I know that years from now, I'll be able to look back at some of the food I've had (and have yet to eat still) and it will serve as a nice reminder of the time that I've spent in Asia, like the way that Dave Matthews songs remind me of undergrad, while the less-than-lovely food will have faded from my memories, kind of like The Backstreet Boys.

The Internet.  This one really sucks.  I never cared very much about Facebook, Youtube has always been a distraction for a moment or two, my blog needs to be dusted off far too often (sorry guys), and if I were the type of person to indulge in adult-oriented websites, I would be in a very bad mood in China.  As it stands, all the things I've just mentioned are considered to be no-no's in this vast land and are subsequently blocked by the Great (Fire)wall of China.  

My first night in Shanghai's
Financial District

You have no idea how frustrating it is to have a new camera, to try very hard to get some decent shots of a lot of things you do or see during your day, so that everyone can feel more of your experience for themselves, even if only a little, and then to be unable to upload them to the places where you had planned to share the fruits of your effort.  My Picasa Photo Album (a service I love) is blocked.  Uploading photos to Facebook is blocked (as well as Facebook itself).  Uploading videos to Youtube is blocked.  I feel that I am an expressive person, and that my ability to share my life with the world is very important...at least I feel that way when I suddenly find out that I am no longer able to do so...otherwise I'm fine.

  I have come to learn that there are services that you can use which will set up a proxy server connection for you that effectively make your computer act as if it were located in the US, which then precludes the Chinese overlords from affecting your online experience.  

If I were the type of person to use this kind of service, then you might find a recent uploading of my photos in the past two days which you can look at by clicking on the photos to the right of this page, or a few other places...I'm just saying.  The one thing that can't be fixed by the use of VPN's, proxy services, or any level of money that I'm now willing to throw at the problem, is the speed of the internet here in Shanghai.  

A view of The Bund on a beautiful weeknight

It's unbelievable how slow it is.  Last night I tried to watch my Slingbox so I could catch up on recent episodes of Breaking Bad (awesome) and Modern Family (other great superlative), and I was never able to achieve streaming speeds above 105kbps.  Most of the time I was unable to break the Herculean level of 85k, which meant that my ability to maximize my TV-viewing experience was all but non-existent.  They should really install a net around my building, if I get angry enough, I may jump out my open window, as has become the custom in some parts of the country when you are faced with such frustrations day after day (hmmmm…too much?).

Update from Japan!

Hajimemashite!! (pr: hah-zhee-may-mah-shee-tay and is a formal hello)  You non-Asia travelling people will probably be more familiar with konichiwa (pr: koh-nee-chee-wah) but I didn't hear that very often.

I think I'm going to be spending more time getting the photos uploaded and annotated at first, then I'll probably get a little writing done.  Please subscribe to the blog so you can get updates automatically and I promise that I won't go nuts with a ton of posts. 

However, in the meantime, here are the photos from my entire time in Kyoto, Japan.  I believe they do a better job telling you what it was like than I can manage here at 6am as I struggle in a losing battle against the terrible scourge of jet lag. 

https://picasaweb.google.com/EricjHab/JapanChinaVietnam2011#

The map view function is pretty cool!!  I didn't realize that my camera needs to be on for more than a few seconds to get a solid fix on where I'm standing, and if I'm indoors it wasn't as accurate sometimes, but for a lot of the shots, you can literally tell when corner of a street I'm standing on at the time!  For those of you who want to avoid getting stuff done for a few minutes, I recommend following my tracks.  For everyone else, just use the slide show function or click on the first picture and use your arrows to navigate through the rest. 

All comments are welcome and appreciated...unless you're not funny, then keep it to yourself.

Arigato gozaimasu!!  (pr: Ah-rhee-gah-toh Go-zai-mah-sssssss and is a formal thank you that has a bit of a hiss at the end.)

Watch out China...here I come!

Cincinnati's Reemergence

Just yesterday, we heard news about three new businesses opening up in Over-the-Rhine. A contemporary women's apparel store will open on near 14th & Main, a merchandise store called Cincy Haus will be opening in between 12th and 13th along Vine Street on April 30, and now a bar and grill restaurant named Bakersfield Taco will be opening on Vine in the Gateway District. Plus, this summer we get to look forward to Tavola Pizzeria and the Abigail Street wine bar and Mediterranean restaurant, opening in May and June; and Taste of Belgium, opening in July. 

Meanwhile, the redevelopment and expansion of Washington Park continues and dozens of buildings are being rehabed all over the neighborhood. Oh yeah, Findlay Market is also experiencing record business, Christian Moerlein is moving its beer brewing operations back to the neighborhood, and applications to SCPA are at one of their highest points ever. Plus crime has been decreasing at double digit rates for the past five years.

To anyone that can't find a nice thing to say about Cincinnati: take a deep breath, relax for a second, and then go out and see all the things that are available to you now! I'm all for putting a spotlight on this issues that concern you, no matter what the subject. But when people work hard to fix the problem and start to get results, you've gotta get on the boat, too, or we're just going to leave you behind.